Agriculture remains a valuable asset here

Matt MattesonBe Our Guest

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 3:24 p.m.

Was it serious? A recent issue of Southern Living magazine tagged Hendersonville as “a small farming town humming with new life.” I’ll give you the new life, but a tractor supply store on Four Seasons Boulevard does not make Hendersonville a farming town.

Facts

Matteson was the Henderson County planning director from 1989 to 1999. He resides in Horse Shoe

So what’s up with the farm these days? Well, for starters, there are fewer of them. For two decades, Henderson County has been losing 1,000 acres of farmland each year with a good chunk of it going for new housing. In 2007, just before the housing bubble burst, we created a whopping 4,436 new building lots, but in 2008 we added only 1/10th as many.

Yes, city folks still like country living. This should come as no surprise, but according to the last census, not even half of our county’s population was born in this state, let alone in this county. In other words, a whole lot of people (this writer included) “ain’t from around here,” and statistically they have settled in every corner of the county. Subdivisions are easier built on flat land — where the farms are.

I’ve often heard farmers talk about how they didn’t need IRAs because their land was their retirement — assuming, of course, they could always sell to a developer. Seven Falls, the failed golf community in Etowah, was once graced by a 100-acre hog farm. That sale might have been the last “good deal” before the real estate market tanked. Sadly, it was the economy that finally put the brakes on urban sprawl.

Yet most farmers enjoy their work and “for sale” signs on farms are a rarity. Farms tend to stay in the family, and when the owners can no longer farm they often lease the land to someone who will. Despite what has been lost, we still farm about 38,000 acres here. I have been told that the best way to preserve farmland is profitability. That sounds about right.

Farmers themselves are a declining group. Today in our county only 1,600 people work in agriculture (less than 2 percent of the workforce). That doesn’t include some 3,500 seasonal workers. The reality is that many farmers have to keep full-time jobs and work their farms on the side. Most local farms are truly family businesses, and they contribute $100 million annually to our county’s economy.

But the business of farming has changed. We don’t just grow apples here. Henderson County has a robust “green industry” that includes greenhouses, nurseries, sod farms, etc. You may find this surprising, but several years ago the green industry surpassed apple growing as our top cash crop.

I think farming must continue to diversify. Some farmers are doing just that by growing peaches, berries, grapes, hops and other crops. This is a positive trend because Henderson County has a good growing climate and new cold-storage facilities, and we’re in a good market location midway along the East Coast.

Local markets are important. Consumers want to know where their produce is grown, and organically grown farm products are on the rise with an 11 percent market share. Locally, apple packing house stands are adding more products, and this year Henderson County supported five tailgate markets.

The next trend may be CSA farms, otherwise known as community-supported agriculture, where you can buy “stock” in a farm — a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer under a contract or “shares” system. The buyer gets fresh produce, usually weekly, at a set price and the farmer has an established customer base. CSA farms have done well in other locations and could be successful here.

In the years ahead, success on the farm will be defined by aggressive marketing, staying up with technology and keeping young people involved in agriculture. I saw some of this interest at Farm City Day last month with some great 4-H Club activities, but I am told that many of those kids don’t live on farms and have to be driven to pursue their interests. Yet three of our four high schools support agricultural science programs. Agriculture is a valued curriculum for people of all ages.

So can Henderson County’s population continue to grow at 2 percent annually and still sustain a strong farm economy? Yes, but only if we give our farmers some space and support them in every way we can.

Maybe Southern Living wasn’t so far off the track, and what it really meant to say was, “Henderson County has a vibrant and diverse economy and a farming community whose future is bright.”

<p>Was it serious? A recent issue of Southern Living magazine tagged Hendersonville as “a small farming town humming with new life.” I'll give you the new life, but a tractor supply store on Four Seasons Boulevard does not make Hendersonville a farming town.</p><p>So what's up with the farm these days? Well, for starters, there are fewer of them. For two decades, Henderson County has been losing 1,000 acres of farmland each year with a good chunk of it going for new housing. In 2007, just before the housing bubble burst, we created a whopping 4,436 new building lots, but in 2008 we added only 1/10th as many.</p><p>Yes, city folks still like country living. This should come as no surprise, but according to the last census, not even half of our county's population was born in this state, let alone in this county. In other words, a whole lot of people (this writer included) “ain't from around here,” and statistically they have settled in every corner of the county. Subdivisions are easier built on flat land — where the farms are.</p><p>I've often heard farmers talk about how they didn't need IRAs because their land was their retirement — assuming, of course, they could always sell to a developer. Seven Falls, the failed golf community in Etowah, was once graced by a 100-acre hog farm. That sale might have been the last “good deal” before the real estate market tanked. Sadly, it was the economy that finally put the brakes on urban sprawl.</p><p>Yet most farmers enjoy their work and “for sale” signs on farms are a rarity. Farms tend to stay in the family, and when the owners can no longer farm they often lease the land to someone who will. Despite what has been lost, we still farm about 38,000 acres here. I have been told that the best way to preserve farmland is profitability. That sounds about right.</p><p>Farmers themselves are a declining group. Today in our county only 1,600 people work in agriculture (less than 2 percent of the workforce). That doesn't include some 3,500 seasonal workers. The reality is that many farmers have to keep full-time jobs and work their farms on the side. Most local farms are truly family businesses, and they contribute $100 million annually to our county's economy.</p><p>But the business of farming has changed. We don't just grow apples here. Henderson County has a robust “green industry” that includes greenhouses, nurseries, sod farms, etc. You may find this surprising, but several years ago the green industry surpassed apple growing as our top cash crop.</p><p>I think farming must continue to diversify. Some farmers are doing just that by growing peaches, berries, grapes, hops and other crops. This is a positive trend because Henderson County has a good growing climate and new cold-storage facilities, and we're in a good market location midway along the East Coast.</p><p>Local markets are important. Consumers want to know where their produce is grown, and organically grown farm products are on the rise with an 11 percent market share. Locally, apple packing house stands are adding more products, and this year Henderson County supported five tailgate markets.</p><p>The next trend may be CSA farms, otherwise known as community-supported agriculture, where you can buy “stock” in a farm — a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer under a contract or “shares” system. The buyer gets fresh produce, usually weekly, at a set price and the farmer has an established customer base. CSA farms have done well in other locations and could be successful here.</p><p>In the years ahead, success on the farm will be defined by aggressive marketing, staying up with technology and keeping young people involved in agriculture. I saw some of this interest at Farm City Day last month with some great 4-H Club activities, but I am told that many of those kids don't live on farms and have to be driven to pursue their interests. Yet three of our four high schools support agricultural science programs. Agriculture is a valued curriculum for people of all ages.</p><p>So can Henderson County's population continue to grow at 2 percent annually and still sustain a strong farm economy? Yes, but only if we give our farmers some space and support them in every way we can.</p><p>Maybe Southern Living wasn't so far off the track, and what it really meant to say was, “Henderson County has a vibrant and diverse economy and a farming community whose future is bright.”</p>